A number of packaging containers have been developed for holding and sealing products and/or individual parts or components. For example, conventional vacuum molded or thermoformed plastic containers (such as those produced to package small hardware components such as screws and/or nails) often include a container body defining an aperture and an attached lid that is designed to selectively close the aperture. For example, some conventional packaging containers further include corresponding flange portions (extending from the container body and the lid, respectively) that are designed to fit snugly against one another so as to seal the container body. Some conventional packaging containers further include an adhesive material disposed between flange portions for sealing the lid closed about the aperture defined by the container body.
Such conventional containers are often well-suited for providing a robust package that may provide adequate protection to the product contained therein. However, once closed and sealed, such conventional packages are not well suited for re-opening, much less re-opening by automated processes. Thus, conventional containers such as the type described generally above may not be well-suited to serve as an aliquot container for receiving, selectively holding, and selectively dispensing one or more particles or components as part of an intermediate research and/or manufacturing step. For example, manual dexterity and/or the use of a cutting tool, may be required to open and remove products from many conventional packaging containers (especially those that include corresponding flange portions and adhesives disposed therebetween). In addition, such containers are not well suited for re-opening (after being closed) by simple automated processes (such as the application of a compressive force on the container) because of the constant interference fit between the lids and reservoirs of conventional packaging containers.
Thus in order to facilitate the selective capture, retention, and dispensing of particulate components by simple automated and/or manual processes, there is a need in the art for a packaging container that not only allows for the quick and complete capture and retention of particulate components, but also a container that may be quickly and easily re-opened so as to selectively dispense the particulate components held therein upon the application of a simple automated and/or manual opening force to the container. For example, there exists a need in the art for an easily-opened clamshell container for segregating and selectively dispensing an aliquot of a particular seed type using mainly automated processes. Furthermore, there exists a need for a packaging container that is not only easily closed and re-opened as described above, but that is easily and economically manufactured and provided with a lid and reservoir portion that are provided in a one-piece assembly such that the lid may remain connected to the reservoir portion of the container even as the container is selectively opened to disperse the particulate components held therein.